FLESH IMPACT Reception Draws Ellen Burstyn, Taika Waititi in Venice
Producers William Green, Melissa Moore and Michelle Ross joined production designer Karen Murphy at the Poolside Terrace gathering.
Genesis hosted a reception on Monday, September 7, celebrating Maggie Gyllenhaal's short film FLESH IMPACT, following its World Premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.
Held on the Poolside Terrace at the Hotel Excelsior, the reception celebrated the film's tribute to Marilyn Monroe's centennial, channeling the atmosphere of Hollywood's golden age alongside the setting of Venice.
Gyllenhaal joined the reception following the film's premiere, where FLESH IMPACT received a rapturous response from the festival audience. Ellen Burstyn arrived at the celebration with her newly awarded Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, which was presented to her by Gyllenhaal ahead of the film's screening. Gyllenhaal and Burstyn were joined by the film's producers William Green (The Cut), Melissa Moore (INNOCEAN USA), Nicolette Spencer (INNOCEAN USA), Michelle Ross (Superprime Films), and Genesis Motor America CMO Amy Marentic. Among the evening's other guests were the film's production designer Karen Murphy, Authentic Brand Group's Executive Vice President of Entertainment Dana Carpenter and Forrest Weber, with additional guests including Taika Waititi and Murray Bartlett.
About FLESH IMPACT
Written and Directed by | Maggie Gyllenhaal
Produced by | William Green, Michelle Ross, Nicolette Spencer, Melissa Moore
Executive Produced by | David Webb, Courtney Kivowitz, Maddi Carlton, Brandon Boerner, Rebecca Skinner
Director of Photography | Lawrence Sher
Edited by | Affonso Gonçalves
Production Designer | Karen Murphy
Costume Designer | Jennifer Johnson
Music by | Dickon Hinchliffe
Starring | Ellen Burstyn, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, Sepideh Moafi
Synopsis | A mysterious elderly woman auditions for a play in a New York City black box theater. As the casting directors listen to her, the story reveals an unexpected truth about identity, legacy, and the woman the world thought it knew.
Run Time: 17 minutes
About Genesis
Genesis is a new global automotive brand that delivers the highest standards of design, safety, refined performance, and innovation while looking towards a more sustainable future. Drawing from its cultural heritage and distinctly Korean hospitality, Genesis crafts experiences focused on customers as 'Son-nim', or honored guests.
Genesis believes that the arts have a unique ability to encourage reflection and connect people with values that transcend time and place. Through Genesis Art Initiatives at LACMA, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Tate Modern, and others, the brand seeks to actively shape cultural dialogue across generations and geographies, contributing to moments of inspiration and reflection that extend well beyond the automotive space.
Through its related 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Genesis Inspiration Foundation, the brand is committed to connecting youth to the transformative power of the arts. The foundation's mission is to improve educational outcomes by providing access to arts programs that engage and inspire children in under-resourced communities. Founded in 2018, the Genesis Inspiration Foundation has awarded over $13 million in grants to expand youth arts at museums, schools, and community organizations nationwide. More information is available at www.genesisinspirationfoundation.org.
Genesis Motor North America offers a growing range of award-winning SUV, sedan, and electric models through its network of more than 190 independent U.S. retailers, in addition to its more than 30 Canadian agency distributors. Genesis now counts more than 100 standalone retail facilities across the North American region, with dozens more in development. Consumers can discover the brand through its many retail points, at Genesis House, the brand's flagship space in New York City, or online at www.genesis.com.
About Superprime
Founded in 2015 by producers Rebecca Skinner and Michelle Ross, Superprime Films is a women-owned, internationally acclaimed production company creating filmmaking experiences for agencies and brands worldwide. Superprime represents a roster of filmmakers including Damien Chazelle, Jon M. Chu, Yorgos Lanthimos, Josh Safdie, Chloé Zhao, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Martin Scorsese. The company has earned recognition from the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) and Cannes Lions and was named one of Ad Age's Top Production Companies of the Year for three consecutive years.
Superprime's work spans advertising, music videos, short films and branded entertainment production, including SANDIWARA, a short film directed by Sean Baker and starring Michelle Yeoh in partnership with self-portrait; Yorgos Lanthimos' BLEAT, starring Emma Stone, created in collaboration with the Greek National Opera; Lanthimos' short film MINI in collaboration with MINI; Rick Famuyiwa's UGO: A HOMECOMING STORY and WE WILL BE MONSTERS. Their traditional branded work includes 'Chanel Blue' directed by Martin Scorsese, 'Christian Louboutin SS25 & SS26' directed by David LaChapelle, 'Prada' directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and Oviparity x Gucci, the Gucci art book created in collaboration with Yorgos Lanthimos.
Skinner and Ross bring decades of experience across film, advertising and music to Superprime. Skinner previously launched HSI Productions' music video division, working with artists including Beyoncé, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Madonna, Taylor Swift and Pharrell Williams, while Ross rose through the ranks at HSI Productions to become Head of Sales and a partner. Together, they have built Superprime into a global production company with offices in Los Angeles, London and Paris.
About INNOCEAN USA
INNOCEAN USA is an independent brand growth company built to move business and culture forward. Born inside a brand and shaped by a deep understanding of business challenges, INNOCEAN USA brings together strategy, creative, media, data, social, experiential, production, AI innovation, and technology to create meaningful connections between brands and people.
About The Cut
THE CUT is a full-service, Los Angeles-based production company established in 2016 by producers William Green and Aaron Ginsburg, built to produce films, television, documentaries, branded content, and podcasts.
In the last few years, The Cut has emerged as a leader in the premium documentary space, establishing itself as a top producer for Netflix. In May of 2025, AMERICAN MANHUNT: OSAMA BIN LADEN was released and became a worldwide phenomenon. The three-part series was a massive hit for Netflix as their #1 show (scripted or non-scripted) for over two weeks in the US and in 80+ countries around the world. The show scored a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and dominated social media.
Earlier in 2025, The Cut hit #1 on Netflix with OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING: AMERICAN TERROR and AMERICAN MANHUNT: OJ SIMPSON as well as the feature JAILBREAK: LOVE ON THE RUN, which topped the charts in September 2024. 2023 saw the release of the Emmy-winning AMERICAN MANHUNT: THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING, as well as WACO: AMERICAN APOCALYPSE, which was nominated for Best Non-Fiction Series – Crime & Investigation at the Realscreen Awards. Their first doc was the 2021 Netflix film, BIGGIE: I GOT A STORY TO TELL, which was nominated for an MTV Movie & TV Award and won the Grierson Award for Best Music Documentary.
In the scripted world, The Cut's latest feature, MGM's SURROUNDED directed by Anthony Mandler, released in June 2023 to critical success. The film stars Letitia Wright, Jamie Bell, and Michael K. Williams. Previously, The Cut was the lead production company on two seasons of the TV drama SNATCH (based on the Guy Ritchie film), which hit #3 on the Netflix UK charts. They also partnered with Dr. Dre as Executive Producers of VITAL SIGNS for Apple TV+, starring Dre, Ian McShane, & Sam Rockwell. Next up is 77 BLACKOUT, a dirty cop crime thriller directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga and starring Mahershala Ali.
Previously, Green and Ginsburg founded and ran Atlas Independent, the independent film finance and production arm of Atlas Entertainment (The Dark Knight, American Hustle, Wonder Woman), producing seven films in five years for companies including A24, Sony, Universal, and Relativity.
Photo Credit: Kate Green / Getty Images for Genesis
Photo Credit: Kate Green / Getty Images for Genesis
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
